Kaladin

Kaladin
by Exmakina
Family Parents Lirin, Hesina Siblings Tien
Born	Late 1153
Abilities	Windrunner
Titles	Kaladin Stormblessed
Profession	Soldier Bridgeman (formerly) Apprentice Surgeon (formerly)
Groups	Bridge Four
Birthplace	Hearthstone
Nationality	Alethi
Homeworld	Roshar

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“I don’t know what I am either. A bridgeman? A surgeon? A soldier? A slave? Those are all just labels. Inside, I’m me. A very different me than I was a year ago, but I can’t worry about that, so I just keep moving and hope my feet take me where I need to go.”

—Kaladin to Sylphrena

Kaladin (pronounced /ˈkælædɪn/ KAL-a-din), nicknamed Kal, renowned as Kaladin Stormblessed, is a darkeyed Alethi male Surgebinder who is on the path to becoming one of the first Knights Radiant since the Recreance on Roshar. Born and raised in the town of Hearthstone, he started training with his father, Lirin, to be a surgeon at age eight. The family had a more or less happy and peaceful time until the Citylord Roshone accused Lirin of thievery of a substantial amount of money. Roshone eventually had Kaladin's brother, Tien, conscripted to Brightlord Amaram's army. In order to look out for his younger brother, Kaladin also joined.

Tien died in battle shortly after. Extremely depressed by this, Kaladin obsessively threw himself to his spear fighting practices. He was soon renowned as the best spearman in Amaram's army and promoted to the rank of squadleader and given his own squad. In Kaladin's final battle in Amaram's army in 1172, he killed a Shardbearer. Amaram, however, wanted the Shards for himself and had Kaladin branded as a slave. He was eventually sold to Brightlord Sadeas's army where he was assigned to Bridge Four to work as a bridgeman.

He was convinced by the honorspren Sylphrena to try one last time to protect the bridgemen. Soon, he realized that the purpose of the bridgemen was to be bait to the Parshendi arrows and decided if they wanted to live, they would have to escape. In the Battle of the Tower, when they had the chance to easily escape, he and Bridge Four saved the lives of Dalinar Kholin and his men. In return for their sacrifice, Dalinar freed all the bridgemen from slavery and offered them a job as soldiers in his army, to be trained and led by Kaladin.

Kaladin was granted the rank of captain, a first for a darkeyes and given command of a thousand former bridgemen. Along with training his men, Dalinar gave Kaladin the responsibility to protect himself, the king, and the other members of Kholin family.

History

Early Life

Childhood

Kaladin was born in late 1153 to a family of second nahn, Lirin and Hesina, in the town of Hearthstone in Sadeas's princedom. Two years later, his younger brother Tien was born. Because his family was the only one of second nahn in the town and the superstitions surrounding his father's work as a surgeon, Kaladin had to grow up mostly in isolation. As a result, he was very close with his brother and, after being encouraged by his family, became friends with the daughter of the citylord, Laral Wistiow. As a child he didn't want to be called by his full name, because he thought "Kaladin" was a lighteyes name; instead he went by "Kal." When he reached age eight, his father started training Kaladin in surgery. He was talented and learned quickly.

Kaladin as a child by Botanica Xu

In 1164, at age ten, Kaladin helped his father perform a surgery on a fifteen-year-old girl named Sani, who had badly injured her safehand. They had to amputate the girl's third finger but were able to save the other four. When Kaladin expressed his thoughts about soldiers, his father told him there were two kinds of people in the world; those who saved lives, and those who took lives. Lirin announced he would like to send him to Kharbranth when he turned sixteen years old to train as a much better surgeon than Lirin.

Kaladin and Tien by Botanica Xu

In mid-1166, Kaladin told Laral about Lirin's intentions. She was angry he hadn't mentioned it for two years. At Laral's encouragement, Kaladin fought with a boy named Jost using quarterstaffs. At first, Jost easily overwhelmed Kaladin, but once he grew angry because he was in pain, Kaladin felt an exhilaration and almost beat the older boy. When he lost, Kaladin asked Jost to teach him how to fight, but the older boy refused by saying that Kaladin should be what he is. He met with Tien, and he walked towards home thinking about what he wanted to be. When they got home, Lirin told Kaladin that Brightlord Wistiow was dead, and he had left them a goblet full of spheres so Kaladin would study to be a master surgeon in Kharbranth, then return home.

Two months, in which he had barely seen Laral, after Wistiow's death, Kaladin attempted to heal a five year old girl named Miasal on his own for the first time at age thirteen. He cauterized the girl's wound, but he was too late as the little girl died due to blood loss. An hour later, his father found Kaladin in front of the surgery room crying to himself. Lirin told him he was proud of Kaladin's work and there was nothing he could have done to stop the girl's death. Kaladin told Lirin he didn't want to be a surgeon, but Lirin answered he would have to learn when to care.

Conflict with Roshone

Towards the end of 1166, Wistiow's replacement Roshone arrived. This turned the fortune of Kaladin's family for the worse in the next year, as the Brightlord applied pressure so they would spend the spheres Lirin got from Wistiow. One night, while Kaladin was studying in his father's surgery room at age fourteen and a half, few men tried to break in through the door to steal the sphere. Lirin confronted them without showing fear. The men lost their nerve and faded into the night without a word.

Four months after the townspeople stopped their donations, Roshone invited Lirin to the mansion for dinner, and Kaladin accompanied him. After Kaladin let out an outburst, Lirin told him to wait in the kitchen. Humiliated, Kaladin went there as Roshone's son Rillir sauntered in with Laral. Kaladin proved no match for the lighteyed boy at wordplay. When Lirin walked in, Kaladin realized that his father had, indeed, stolen the spheres from Wistiow. Lirin claimed that Wistiow would have given them those spheres if he could regain enough lucidity and that he had merely made sure that promises were kept. Kaladin said he would go to Kharbranth even with stolen spheres, but he would find a way to pay them back to Laral eventually.

Joining the Army

Some time later, Roshone and Rillir were brought to Lirin's surgery room with serious injuries that they had sustained while hunting whitespine. Kaladin and Lirin quickly assessed that Rillir was beyond their help and, despite the Brightlord's protest, started working on the older man's wounds. That evening, Kaladin asked why his father hadn't let Roshone die. Lirin answered that it would be murdering Roshone and that he wasn't a killer. He said the lighteyes didn't care about life, so he must. As Kaladin considered his father's words, he realized he would have killed Roshone if he were in Lirin's place. The next day, Lirin spent one of the spheres from Kaladin's education money for the first time.

In the Weeping of 1168, Brightlord Meridas Amaram visited Hearthstone with his army. Kaladin and his family went to a gathering in the town square called by Roshone. There, they saw that Laral was now engaged to Roshone himself after Rillir's death. When the crowd quieted, Amaram spoke to them to announce he was there to recruit new soldiers for the army. When only six men volunteered, Amaram told Roshone to announce the men they would conscript. He could not take Kaladin, because as his father's apprentice, he provided an essential function to the town. However, Tien wasn't under the same protection of the law, so Roshone got his revenge by forcing the younger boy into military. Amaram told Lirin he would make Tien a runner boy for a year or two so that he wouldn't be in combat. Kaladin tried to take Tien's place, but Roshone denied him. So, Kaladin volunteered to join the army alongside Tien. Kaladin promised his parents he would bring Tien back in four years.

Amaram's Army

Tien's death by ExMakina

Tien's Death

Despite Amaram's promise to Lirin, because recruitment was slower than desired, the older messenger boys, including Tien, were soon organized into several squads of reserve units. Less than four months after his enlistment, Kaladin took part in his third real battle. The enemy force tried to take over a hilltop Amaram's army was trying to hold onto. As the battle went worse for the Amaram's side, messenger boys were assigned to Brightlord Sheler's company. Kaladin ran recklessly through the battlefield to reach his brother as the lines of Amaram's army buckled. On the southeast side of the hill, he saw Tien and two other boys placed in front of the enemy army as bait by Squadleader Varth. While running towards his younger brother, he killed a man for the first time. The enemy soldiers took Varth's bait and killed the three boy.

Stormblessed

Kaladin concept art by Ben McSweeney

In his depression, Kaladin started obsessively training with the spear. His drill sergeant was surprised with how fast Kaladin mastered the spear and soon he was known as one of the best spearman in Amaram's army. He was promoted to the rank of squadleader, earning the nickname Kaladin Stormblessed for the first time. Kaladin's squad always lost fewest men of any squad in the army, which was credited to Kaladin's luck and his bribing the army's surgeons.

Sometime during his time in the army, Kaladin attracted the honorspren Sylphrena who gave him the ability to Surgebind.

Fighting the Shardbearer

On the month of Ishi of the year 1172, Kaladin fought his final battle in Amaram's army. Once the signal to march was given, Kaladin's squad ran ahead of the rest of Amaram's army, thereby avoiding the volleys of arrows the enemy sent their way. For the better part of an hour, they held the small hill they'd chosen as their battlefield. The larger battle, however, didn't nearly go as well, and after the larger body of Amaram's force broke, Kaladin's squad had to retreat. Before they were halfway across the field. Nearby an enemy battalionlord was trying to rally his soldiers to mount a counterattack. After seeing to his men, Kaladin decided to attack the enemy officer in the hopes killing a so high ranked officer would be enough to get them to the Shattered Plains. Kaladin himself struck the killing blow on the enemy battalionlord.

As he surveyed the field, they noticed a Shardbearer cutting through Amaram's army. Kaladin ran towards the six men he'd left behind, but could not get there before the Shardbearer killed them all. Kaladin ran after the Shardbearer followed by his twenty remaining men. They reached him just as the Shardbearer was about to kill Amaram himself, and Amaram's honor guard abandoned their charge. Led by Kaladin, his men attacked the Shardbearer but were barely able to scratch the Shardplate. The man easily killed most of Kaladin's men with a few strokes of his Blade. Facing the Shardbearer by himself, Kaladin dodged a few of the other man's swings, then eventually killed him by ramming the broken head of his spear through the visor slit of the enemy's Plate. Disgusted by the thought of wielding the same Blade that had claimed the lives of so many of his friends, Kaladin said he was giving them to Coreb and walked away to the warcamp.

Kaladin was called to the warcenter a few hours later. Kaladin rose as Amaram entered the chamber along with his stormwarden and soldiers, followed by the four surviving members of Kaladin's squad. After asking why he hadn't taken the Blade, Amaram ordered the deaths of Kaladin's men. Kaladin apologized to the incapacitated Kaladin, saying that the Blade would serve Alethkar the best with himself. Kaladin was branded as a slave for deserting the army.

Slavery

Kaladin spent the next eight months under five different slavemasters in harsh conditions of constant beatings and deprivation. He always demanded his wages be given to him as was required by the law, but the slavemasters always managed to cheat him out of it by charging for housing or food. He managed to keep his defiance and made ten escape attempts, even managing to get away a few times, but he was always captured and taken back. Around his sixth month of slavery, he noticed a windspren following him around. He spent time with a Selay man who told him about about the Old Magic and its ability to curse people under his fifth slavemaster. In his last escape attempt, he led a group of twenty armed slaves, but all of them except Kaladin died. According to Kaladin, he should have been killed for that, but finding him "intriguing," his previous master branded his forehead with the shash glyph, meaning dangerous, in addition to the sas nahn glyphpair already there and sold him for a pittance to another slavemaster named Tvlakv.

Tvlakv brought Kaladin to the Shattered Plains and sold him to Sadeas's warcamp. Kaladin tried to convince the lighteyed woman, Brightness Hashal, who was responsible for the acquisitions of slaves to make him a spearman but was sent to the Bridge Four to work as a bridgeman in 1173 .

Bridge Four

“Shen is one of us now. I don’t care what he was before. I don’t care what any of you were. We’re Bridge Four. So is he.”

—Kaladin to the men of Bridge Four

Despair and Rise to Leadership

During his time in Bridge Four, Kaladin grew more and more depressed. He eventually stopped caring about anything and Syl left Kaladin saying she would try to get back because she couldn't bear seeing Kaladin as he was. The last man from Kaladin's first bridge run died, and between that and Syl leaving, Kaladin came to the point of suicide. He went to the Honor Chasm at night. Before he jumped down, Syl came back with a leaf of blackbane, a deadly poison, hoping to make Kaladin feel better without understanding what she was bringing. Kaladin found this oddly sweet. She convinced Kaladin to try to protect the men of Bridge Four, saying there was nothing Kaladin could do to make their situation worse. Kaladin went back to the bridge sergeant Gaz, bullied and bribed him to become the bridgeleader and so Gaz would stay out of his way. That night, he learned the name of every men in Bridge Four. Next morning, Kaladin started training for bridge runs. He tried to get others to practice as well, but was ridiculed for the effort, though soon Teft and Rock started training with him. Kaladin started bringing back the wounded back at this point. Kaladin, Teft and Rock started collecting knobweed sap to use on the injured and to sell it so they could have money for supplies. Kaladin told Rock to cook meals every night and soon every man in Bridge Four accepted Kaladin as their leader and started training with him.

File:Kaladin fullbody.jpg

Kaladin as a bridgeman by Exmakina

Side Carry

The training cut down their losses in bridge runs but Kaladin didn't feel it was enough. They started practicing carrying the bridge sideways so they could use it as a shield from the arrows. This, however, undermined the strategy of the army in the Tower and caused the army to lose the battle. As punishment, Kaladin was strung up on the side of a building facing east during a highstorm to be judged by the Stormfather. During the highstorm he had a vision of an inhuman, smiling face of darkness that was as large as he could see. His Surgebinding abilities allowed Kaladin to survive the highstorm but he was still severely injured. It took him ten days to recover, which was found to be miraculous and people started calling him Stormblessed again. Lamaril was executed and his replacement Brightlord Matal's wife, Brightness Hashal, informed Kaladin that Bridge Four would always work in chasm duty from then on. Kaladin realized that the bridgemen were bait to the Parshendi and knowing no matter how much they cut their losses it would never be enough, he proposed that they escape and started training the Bridge Four as spearmen.

Riding the Storm

During a highstorm, Kaladin dreamed he was the storm. In the dream, he followed the path of the highstorms, travelling from east to west. He raged forward just ahead of the stormwall, soaring above Roshar. He saw many places including a city that Sigzil later confirms as Sesemalex Dar. He also saw a Shin man that appeared to see Kaladin as well. Once he reached the western ocean, he heard a voice calling Kaladin Child of Tanavast. The face he saw when he was strung up in the highstorm appeared again and was revealed to be the source of the voice. The face informed Kaladin that the Oathpact was broken and Odium reigned. Kaladin woke up, finding himself surrounded by the men of Bridge Four trying to restrain him from walking out into the highstorm.

Discovering Surgebinding

Later that day, Bridge Four got a new member, the parshman Shen. Kaladin made sure he was accepted by the rest of the men. While talking with Syl, he asked if she knew about Odium which made Syl run away without looking back. Strolling confused about what happened in the warcamp, Kaladin stumbled upon a prostitute being beaten by a lighteyes. Adolin Kholin and a few of his soldiers came and save her. Adolin told Kaladin to deliver a message and called him bridgeboy which made Kaladin indignant. Syl returned with no explanation about where she went.

In one of the next bridge runs, Dunny died. Kaladin was frustrated, and started rescuing members of the other bridge crews. Teft talked about how when Kaladin ran point, Parshendi arrows always missed them. Kaladin remarked his behavior as strange. One week later, Bridge Four found an emerald broam along with a number of smaller denominations. Kaladin decided they couldn't get the emerald broam out of the chasm but they would find a way to recover the other spheres. They attached the sphere pouch to an arrow and Rock shot it at under one of the permanent bridges to be recovered later. Teft faked throwing a punch to Kaladin and Kaladin instinctively drew in Stormlight and used Full Lashing in front of Teft and Lopen. Kaladin confronted Syl about it and asked how he could get rid of it. They argued and Syl ran away, her feelings hurt. In the evening, Kaladin met Hoid while walking around the warcamp. Hoid gave Kaladin a Trailman's flute and asked him to look after his apprentice, Sigzil, and that he was graduated to a full Worldsinger. He also told Kaladin a story about Wandersail which made Kaladin think about responsibility. Kaladin decided to use Surgebinding to help Bridge Four and that he was not cursed.

Bone Armor

He went back to Teft and they started practicing how to use Surgebinding consciously. Teft also taught Kaladin about the Immortal Words. They ran into Brightness Hashal and his husband, Hashal informed them that Bridge Four would be on bridge duty every day from then on while doing chasm duty at nights. While doing chasm duty, Kaladin found a Parshendi corpse and cut his carapace armor. He used Full Lashing and tied the armor to the permanent bridge they had used before. The next chasm run, Kaladin wore the armor and ran ahead of the bridge crews wearing the Parshendi armor. Parshendi were angry because Kaladin had disturbed the corpse of one of their kind and focused all their archers on Kaladin. He managed to dodge them with his abilities and bridge crews managed to set their bridges without casualty. Others volunteered to run with Kaladin and they decided that five men should run before the bridge crews every time. While they were resting, a group of Parshendi soldiers ambushed Bridge Four but Dalinar Kholin came to their rescue. Kaladin told Leyten to make a set of armor for every man in Bridge Four, not just those running in front.

Battle of the Tower

In the Battle of the Tower, Sadeas abandoned Dalinar and his army in the Tower Plateau and escaped taking all of his bridge crews. Kaladin told Lamaril that they would follow behind the army with their own bridge claiming they were too tired. He thought they could fool the army into thinking they were dead by falling further and further behind. When he and Bridge Four saw Dalinar's army surrounded by the Parshendi, they decided they couldn't leave all those people to die while there was something they can do about it. Bridge Four charged to the plateau to set their bridge. Kaladin used Reverse Lashing to draw the volley of the Parshendi archers who were firing on Bridge Four. He wasn't ready for this however, and it left him unable to even stand up. Rest of the Bridge Four carried Kaladin back and returned to set the bridge. Kaladin had a flashback to when Tien was killed. Remembering gave him strength and Kaladin ran back to the fight. He took the Second Ideal of the Windrunners and almost held back dozens of Parshendi by himself, defending the bridge. Bridge Four joined him and they managed to hold the bridge until Dalinar's army arrived. Kaladin went to get Dalinar out from his fight with Eshonai. In the end, Kaladin and the Bridge Four managed to save Dalinar and over twenty-six hundred of his men. Dalinar, in his gratitude, bought all the slaves in the bridge crews from Sadeas with his Shardblade and free them. Kaladin accepted becoming bodyguard with the rank of captain for Dalinar and training the former bridgemen for Dalinar's army.

Bodyguard

Kaladin promoted Moash, Skar, Teft, Sigzil and Rock to lieutenants, a rank which is the equivalent of sergeant in companies made solely of lighteyes, because he needs a rank between squadleader and captain to form command structure for a thousand men.

Appearance and Personality

Kaladin is a fairly tall man. He is muscular and has multiple scars on his body. He has tan skin. He has shoulder-length wavy black hair typical of an Alethi and dark brown eyes with an Template:Wp that appear faintly colored amber when he is holding Stormlight. His face is square and firm with strong lines and a proud chin. He prefers to be clean-shaven but during his slavery he grows a long, scraggly beard. He is branded on his forehead with a sas nahn glyphpair indicating his slavery and a shash glyph meaning dangerous.

Kaladin is a natural leader who makes people want to listen to him. Men of his squad in Amaram's army called him lucky and believed they would be protected because they were in Kaladin's squad. During his time in Bridge Four, he takes men who no longer care about anything and organizes them into an extremely loyal and well trained squad of spearmen. Dalinar Kholin remarks his men think very highly of him. He has a strong protective instinct, especially over those who are defenseless. He joins the army so he can look after his younger brother. As a squadleader, he strives to protect the men in his squad. He specifically recruits youngest members with the least training to his squad by bribing other squadleaders so he can take care of them.

Kaladin shows a deep sense of loss when those under his protection die and has a tendency toward depression in various forms. By the time he joins Bridge Four, he has lost so many people he falls into a deep depression. He thinks himself cursed because he always survives when others did not. At his lowest points, Kaladin falls into apathetic despair and becomes suicidal. He is also prone to seasonal depression, feeling a sense of heavy melancholy during the weeks of the Weeping.

As a soldier who has been raised as a surgeon, Kaladin has many conflicts about killing. He knows sometimes there is no way but to kill, but his father's about the sanctity of life are engrained too deep within him. He constantly question if it is possible to protect by killing. He carries a powerful hatred for all lighteyes during his time in Sadeas' army, fueled by the betrayals of Roshone, Amaram, Katarotam, and others. However, by the time of Dalinar's rescue and the granting of his freedom, he is beginning to show a willingness trust Dalinar. At his lowest points, Kaladin falls into apathetic despair and becomes suicidal.

Attributes and Abilities

Surgebinding

Kaladin has a Nahel bond with the honorspren Sylphrena which gives him the ability to Surgebind. He has access to the Surges of atmospheric pressure and gravity. As with all Surgebinders, he has superhuman speed, strength and healing when he holds Stormlight. He has so far demonstrated the ability to use Reverse Lashing and Full Lashing, but not Basic Lashing. Kaladin is in the process of becoming a Knight Radiant from the Order of Windrunners. He has currently taken the first and second Ideals of his order.

Kaladin is currently immune to the Thrill although that does not mean he never felt it. This may be because of his Nahel bond.

Surgery

Kaladin has been taught surgery by his father, Lirin, from an early age. As a youth, he helped his father save people in Hearthstone. Lirin thought Kaladin was very talented and wanted him to go to the Great Concourse of Kharbranth. After Kaladin joined the army, he used his skills as a surgeon to save his fellow soldiers and bridgemen.

Spearman

“I could have beaten him. I probably could have beaten all four of them. I’ve always been good with the spear. No, not good. Durk called me amazing. A natural born soldier, an artist with the spear.”

—Kaladin to Sylphrena

Kaladin is naturally talented at fighting with spears and similar polearm weapons. He first demonstrated his talent by almost beating an older boy in a quarterstaff fight although Kaladin had never used a weapon before and Jost was being trained with a quarterstaff by his father for some time. Once he joined Amaram's army, he learned the quickest among all the training men in his cohort. He almost did it without instructions, which surprised his drill sergeant Tukks, although Tukks' advice helped refine and channel his ability. After Tien's death, Kaladin spent a year training, driving himself to exhaustion each day. Over time, he grew to be reputed as the best spearman in Amaram's army. In the army, he preferred a shortspear that is a hand longer than the spears other men used with two leather knife sheaths attached to it. Teft claims he has never seen anyone fight like Kaladin, a sentiment that has been shared by others in the past. The rest of Bridge Four are amazed by his skill as well.

Quotes

“Perhaps you should pray to the Almighty for guidance. I hear he has a fondness for slavers. Keeps a special room in Damnation just for you.”

—Kaladin to Tvlakv

“Authority doesn't come from a rank. [It comes] from the men who give it to you. That's the only way to get it.”

—Kaladin to Sylphrena

“Men are unreliable in many things. But if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s their greed.”

—Kaladin to Sylphrena

“Death isn’t better. Oh, it’s easy to say that now. But when you stand on the ledge and look down into that dark, endless pit, you change your mind. Just like Hobber did. Just like I’ve done. I think you’ve seen it too.”

—Kaladin to Teft

“Tradition is the blind witness they use to condemn us, Teft. It’s the pretty box they use to wrap up their lies. It makes us serve them.”

—Kaladin about lighteyes

“Soon you’ll hardly be a spren at all. You’ll be a little translucent philosopher. We’ll have to send you off to a monastery to spend your time in deep, important thoughts.”

—Kaladin to Sylphrena

“Storm you! Look at that! Who cares for them? Not Sadeas. Not their fellow bridgemen. I doubt even the Heralds themselves spare a thought for these. I won’t stand there and watch while men die behind me. We have to be better than that! We can’t look away like the lighteyes, pretending we don’t see. This man is one of us. Just like Dunny was. The lighteyes talk about honor. They spout empty claims about their nobility. Well, I’ve only known one man in my life who was a true man of honor. He was a surgeon who would help anyone, even those who hated him. Especially those who hated him. Well, we’re going to show Gaz, and Sadeas, Hashal, and any other sodden fool who cares to watch, what he taught me. Now go to work and stop complaining!”

—Kaladin about members of other bridge crews

“I’ve been here before! What happened last time? I’ve learned! I won’t be a fool again! I owe you nothing, Kholin.”

—Kaladin yelling before helping Dalinar's army

Trivia

• Kaladin spoke the Second Ideal of the Windrunners in modern Alethi.
• Despite previous contradicting statements by Brandon, Kaladin is not likely to get another flashback book anymore.
• Kaladin was originally named Merin. One of the reasons for the name change was that Merin sounded too much like Template:Wp. Another was it sounded too much like a female name. Brandon also felt that the character had changed so much that he couldn't think of him as Merin anymore.
• In the original manuscript of The Way of Kings, Kaladin saves the life of Elhokar from a Shardbearer and accepts the Shardblade. They try to take it away from him, but Dalinar insists that he be given it.